On Saturday, April 8, the final day of the second National Green Building Conference, attendees will have the opportunity to put all the learning experiences into perspective. Tours of four BuiltGreen housing projects in the Denver area will highlight the different ways home builders are utilizing resource-efficient construction techniques in the marketplace.
The four developments on the tour include:
Filmore Street Project: One of the leading non-profit affordable home builders in Denver, the Northeast Denver Housing Center is redeveloping several downtown infill sites with highly resource-efficient housing. The Filmore Street project features building materials salvaged from demolition as well as housing units built to the Metro Denver's HBA's BuiltGreen standards. The Filmore Street project will be framed by April.
Highlands Garden Village Project: This 27-acre site is the former Elitch Gardens, a downtown Denver historic garden area and amusement park. Perry Affordable Housing Corp. is redeveloping the property as an urban infill, mixed-used project--creating a walkable, green neighborhood 10 minutes from the city center. The plan provides for single family homes with carriage houses, senior housing, town homes, offices, live/ work studios and neighborhood retail shopping. Single family homes and town homes are designed to exceed local green building standards and also to qualify for the Energy Star program.
Work on the site includes construction waste recycling, renovation of a 100-year-old landmark theatre, and reuse of salvaged building materials in construction of some new structures. Current work includes at least 12 completed single family homes and construction of the senior center and the co-housing facilities. All stages of redevelopment have been and will continue to be fully documented.
Meadowview: Developer and builder McStain Enterprises is known for leading the push for innovative land development, conservation of natural space and top-of-the-line, resource-efficient homes. Meadowview is a recently completed urban-fringe project with planned transit access to metro Denver. The community features an extensive trail system, numerous parks and creeks and three housing options--condominiums, cottage homes and single family and all to BuiltGreen standards.
Green Valley Ranch: Working with the city of Denver to improve the regulatory approval process for new development, Oakwood Home's Pat Hamill has created Green Valley Ranch in northeast Denver. This model master-planned community features homes with numerous PATH technologies.
